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Alaçatı (pronounced aa-LAA-chaa-tuh) is a village in Central Aegean, just east of Çeşme, on the peninsula jutting out into the Aegean Sea.

Understand

Formerly named Agrilia and inhabited by local Greeks until 1920s, Alaçatı was long forgotten until 1990s when it started to attract Turkish intellectuals yearning for a peaceful, rural haven. Since 2000s, it is much trendier and has a wider visitor profile, which includes many windsurfers.

Get in

By bus

Buses departing from Izmir's otogar heading for Çeşme—the principal town of the peninsula—calls at Alaçatı. The buses are run by Çeşme Seyahat (☎+90 232 716-82-99, [1]. ), with one and a half hour intervals between 06:30AM and 7:30PM during off-season, most likely more frequent during summer.

There are also minibuses (dolmuş) from Çeşme, and Ilıca every 15 - 30 minutes.

By car

Alaçatı lies very close to O-31, a motorway (toll-road) with 3-lanes per direction linking Izmir with Çeşme. It takes around 45 minutes to get to the village from Izmir, which lies 72 km east of Alaçatı. A new dual carriageway / motorway is currently (october 2012) being built which connects directly with the marina/beaches in the south.

The village lies 8 km east of Çeşme.

Get around

The beach on the windsurfing cove, which lies about 2 km south of village, is connected to village centre by minibuses (dolmuş).

See

Local architecture. Perhaps the main attraction of the village, all of the village's old parts consist of very well preserved local Greek architecture of stone buildings lining cobbled streets.

Windmills. Ancient windmills dating back to 19th century on the top of the hill overlooking the village. Windmills themselves are shadowed by much taller modern electricity-generating wind turbines.

Do

Windsurfing. The cove of Alaçatı lies on the leeward side of this much windy peninsula in Turkey's western tip, which means lots of wind but no visible waves towards the coast—perfect for windsurfing! There are some schools offering windsurfing training on the beach.

Babylon Alaçatı Beach, [2]. A great private beach in Alaçatı, mostly preferred by holidaymakers from Istanbul.

Buy

Every saturday there is a local market with fresh fruit and vegetables and a variety of other produce, clothes and other articles which attracts both locals and tourists.

Eat

Pide — Turkish pizza, available at everywhere, and mostly tasty, but you should definitely taste the ones at Babylon Aya Yorgi beach.

Fish — Definitely there are many alternatives for fish restaurants in Alaçatı and around nearby Çeşme as well. Dalyan is a very close village where locals prefer to dine in. Do not forget to try Turkish raki with fish.

Kumru. A Special Turkish sandwich on a special kumru bread, typically with cheese, tomato, and garlic sausage and salami, no ketchup or mayonesee Kumru wexcogitated by Kumrucu Huseyin in 60's...

Umit Ev Otel, 3058 Sok. no:24 Yenimecidiye Mahallesi, ☎+90 232 716-81-33 (umit@umitevotel.com). A small hotel in a historic building with traditional architecture in downtown Alaçatı, in a big garden. Provides organic breakfast (from garden), and free shuttles to beaches around Alaçatı, as well as boat tours to fishing and swimming spots.